Some questions...



Mr. Ginger, our new cat, is fitting in nicely in our home… most of the time anyways.  Except for the times he keeps begging us for people food, and decides to lay down right (literally) behind our feet while working in the kitchen.  Is there such a thing as a normal cat? If so, I don’t think I’ve ever met one! 

We were just going to call him Ginger but then we took to the vet.  When people kept double-checking if he was a male cat, we realized that Ginger is normally a girl’s name.  So, now he is “Mr. Ginger!”

It took some convincing my family to get a new cat so soon but I think it was worth it! :)


There has been a question that has been haunting and piercing me the last week or so. 

The question is this:
What if God never gives me a husband, children, a larger bank account, my dream job, my own house- all the things I’m currently desiring and/or working towards- and what if God doesn’t ever give me those things so that I might cling to Christ more closely?  Am I willing to say to God, “if for me getting married someday will bring me closer to you, please let it happen; but if getting married will distract me from You, please let me stay single”?  

All these things are good gifts from God, but do I see Jesus as so much more valuable than all these good gifts?

All these questions are stemming from Matthew 13:44-46

“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field."
“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it."

My favorite part of this passage is that the man does all of this in joy! It is not a chore to him. It is not something he has to do. It is something he wants to do! He found something that was worth so much to him, that it was worth giving up everything for. The merchant was looking for fine pearls but he only found one. Still it was worth giving up everything for.

I’ve been asking myself how I get to this place. As I’ve been asking these questions it has revealed my heart-  that so often I’m not willing to give up everything for Jesus.  

Treasuring Jesus above all else is a hard place to get too and it’s a hard place to stay at. The psalms are great at showing us that.  Over and over again David pleads for more of God and His presence. It’s not a one-time thing. David constantly asks God to open his eyes to see beautiful things in His word (ps. 119:18} because God’s steadfast love is better than life itself. (ps. 63:3) I think it’s fair to say that this is a daily struggle in every season of life we find out ourselves living in.

Just as it was worth pleading with my family to get Mr. Ginger,   it is ten thousand more times worth pleading with God that He will open our eyes to see His infinite worth!

Comments

  1. Mary-Lue October 18, 2012 at 8:40 PM

    Cheryl, I just really want to say that the thoughts you've shared are beautiful and so valuable. Oh, for Jesus to be our greatest treasure ... I am praying, pleading, to this end also. God Bless Cheryl. ps. "Mr. Ginger" - I like :) - Lue -

    ReplyDelete
  2. Jen VanderherbergOctober 19, 2012 at 5:44 AM

    You're a beautiful writer, Cheryl. This really encouraged me this morning. Thanks for putting your self aside so that others may be blessed!

    ReplyDelete
  3. CherylOctober 20, 2012 at 6:56 AM

    Thanks so much Lue and Jen for your encouragement! It means a lot!

    ReplyDelete

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